Rumbala-less Browns get job done with defence

Sean Myers, Calgary Herald09.29.2009

St. Francis quarterback Jamie Baldauf doesn't have a star running back, such as the graduated Steven Lumbala, at his disposal, but the Browns so far are 3-0 thanks to a balanced offensive attack and a stingy defence.

Having run out of Lumbalas, the St. Francis Browns have found a new way to win.

The Browns have a rich tradition of turning out star offensive players that goes back decades, including running back brothers Rolly Lumbala, now a B.C. Lion, and Steven Lumbala, a University of Calgary Dino after graduating last year.

This season, St. Francis has no single obvious star athlete, but the Browns have come together to forge a record of three wins and no losses.

“We don’t have that one true running back this year, but we have good balance on the backfield,” said Browns head coach Darren Dudar. “We can still put points on the board, but our strength this year is defence. We’ve only allowed 14 points.”

The Browns are ranked ninth in the province and third in the city behind the Bishop O’Byrne Bobcats, an upstart senior Division 1 team with two wins and a loss this season.

“On any day, anyone can beat anyone in this division,” said Dudar. “It’s a strong division this year. The top four (in the city) are the top four.”

The Browns have won the provincial championship four times since 1995, including back-to-back titles in 2003 and 2004. Dudar says that doesn’t happen by simply relying on one or two star players.

This year Dudar is happy with the talent he has across the board and the way his the players have melded into a unit in support of each other.

“The key to coaching in high school can’t be just to say here’s the system we run and plug the kids into that system,” said Dudar. “You have to work with the kids you have.

“We may not have a true kid like a Steven Lumbala, but we have some good weapons.”

After posting decisive wins against John G. Diefenbaker and Lord Beaverbrook, St. Francis beat the struggling defending city champion Henry Wise Wood Warriors 9-7 last week by kicking three field goals. The Warriors didn’t score their touchdown until the last minute, the first points they’ve scored in their three straight losses.

“It was more of a defensive game. We couldn’t seem to finish during that game,” said Dudar. “But the score made it look a little closer than it was.”

One of the Browns’ leaders has been middle linebacker Alex Bencisk, a Grade 12 player who’s made a point of befriending the younger rookies on the senior team.

“This year is about team effort. Guys who work hard and work together,” said Bencisk, 17. “I find myself trying to be a role model to the Grade 11s because I didn’t have that last year. In Grade 11, I found the kids I looked up to weren’t always the people I thought they were. This year, we’re all working together. On the field, you’ve just got to look to the guy next to you.”

After winning the provincial crown in 2007, the Browns were knocked out of the city playoffs in the semifinals by Henry Wise Wood last year.

Bencisk’s older brother Nick was a linebacker for the Browns in the 2003-04 powerhouse years which included Rolly Lumbala in 2003.

“They just destroyed teams in those years,” said Bencisk. “(My brother) was the whole reason I got into football. He says, ‘Just go out there and play your guts out.’ ”

Bencisk took a lot of advice from his brother on performing as an athlete and playing as a team. He says there isn’t a school anywhere for which he’d rather play.

“I love playing football for St. Francis, I can’t wait for every game day,” he said. “I love the tradition of the school, I love everything about this school.”

The Browns will next take on the Bowness Trojans (2-1) on Friday at Shouldice Park.